Community organisations in Pembrokeshire encouraged to apply for new grants supporting skills and job access

LOCAL Senedd Members Samuel Kurtz and Paul Davies are urging charities and community groups across Pembrokeshire to apply for a new round of funding aimed at helping people gain skills and access employment.

The latest round of the National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) Community Matters Fund has opened, offering grants to grassroots organisations supporting people who are struggling to find work or return to employment.

Delivered in partnership with Localgiving, the spring funding round will distribute £250,000 to projects designed to build skills, confidence and experience in an evolving jobs market.

Funding can support initiatives such as CV workshops, interview coaching, work placements and training opportunities. Projects helping people develop practical skills in sectors including construction, engineering, digital industries and clean energy are also eligible.

The fund is targeted at those facing barriers to employment, including young people not in education, employment or training, individuals with health conditions or disabilities, armed forces veterans, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, and those returning to work after time away due to caring responsibilities or illness.

Registered charities and non-profit companies limited by guarantee can apply for grants of up to £5,000. Constituted community groups without a charity number can apply for up to £2,000.

The funding is available to eligible organisations across the Midlands, South West England and South Wales.

Samuel Kurtz said: “This fund offers a valuable opportunity for local groups to secure support to help people gain confidence, training and work experience. I would encourage any eligible organisation in Pembrokeshire to consider applying.”

Paul Davies added: “Helping people into work and supporting them to develop new skills is vital for both individuals and our local economy. Pembrokeshire has many excellent community groups delivering this kind of support, and I hope they will take full advantage of this funding to expand their work.”

The application window opened on Monday (Mar 16) and closes at 5:00pm on Thursday (Apr 23). Successful applicants will be notified in May, with funding distributed later that month.

Further information is available via the National Grid Electricity Distribution Community Matters Fund website.

Community investors urged to help reach £12,000 target before end of March

A COMMUNITY campaign to purchase and preserve a historic Victorian corrugated cottage in Boncath has already raised £4,000 in just one week.

The fundraising effort began following a public meeting in the north Pembrokeshire village, where residents discussed plans to secure the future of the building, which has served as a community meeting space for more than 130 years.

The corrugated iron cottage has had several uses over the decades. Since the 1930s it has been used as a meeting place for Boncath Women’s Institute, while earlier records suggest it served as an office for a local sawmill. Some residents also believe the building was originally owned by a nearby mansion estate and used as a rent collection office.

At the public meeting in Boncath Village Hall, Cris Tomos from the Narberth-based community development association PLANED outlined how the purchase could be achieved through community investment.

Mr Tomos said the group had set a target of raising £12,000 by March 31, 2026. The total would cover the £10,000 purchase price of the building along with approximately £2,000 in legal and marketing costs.

He told residents that investors could benefit from tax relief through the HMRC Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme, which allows eligible UK taxpayers to reclaim 50 per cent of their investment.

Mr Tomos said: “Following the public meeting in the village hall it was agreed to set a target date of March 31 to reach the goal of raising £12,000 to buy the building. This includes the £10,000 purchase price plus £2,000 for legal and marketing costs.

“It is great to report that after just one week we have seen £4,000 raised, which is one third of the target. We now have a limited time to raise the remaining £8,000 by the end of March.”

Supporters are being asked to consider investing £500 in the project. Those who are UK taxpayers would be eligible for the 50 per cent tax relief.

Organisers say the model has already proven successful locally. The nearby community purchase of the Crymych Arms pub, just four miles away, raised £210,000 from investors to reopen the village pub.

Anyone interested in supporting the Boncath project can email [email protected] or download an investment form from the Bwthyn Boncath Facebook page.

Printed forms are also available from Boncath Village Shop and Post Office and can be returned there to be counted towards the community investment total.

If the purchase is successful, organisers say a further community share offer is planned at £50 per share to allow as many residents as possible to take an ownership stake in the historic building.

Five community initiatives receive support through Sustainable Development Fund

FIVE community-led projects across Pembrokeshire have secured funding from the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority (PCNPA) following a competitive round of the Sustainable Development Fund (SDF).

The authority’s Grants Committee met in late January to consider fifteen applications from across the county. Members said the quality of submissions was exceptionally high, making the selection process particularly challenging.

Projects were assessed on how well they supported the aims of the SDF, which promotes sustainable development, community resilience and environmental improvement within the National Park.

The five successful applicants were:

Transition Bro Gwaun
Yr Hen Ysgol, Dinas
The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (Skokholm Island)
Angle Village Hall
St Davids City Council

The successful bids include plans to install renewable energy systems in community buildings and carry out energy-efficiency retrofit improvements to local hubs used by residents.

Bethan Jones, Sustainability Officer at the Park Authority said: “It was encouraging to see such ambitious ideas emerging from our local communities. These projects offer innovative solutions that will deliver a lasting, positive impact across communities in the National Park.”

Work on the funded projects has already begun following confirmation of the grants.

Details of the next round of Sustainable Development Fund funding will be announced once future budgets have been confirmed. Updates will be shared through Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services (PAVS) and other local community networks.

Further information about the Sustainable Development Fund is available at www.pembrokeshirecoast.wales/sdf.

Caption:

Yr Hen Ysgol Dinas Community Centre has benefited from the latest round of funding from the Sustainable Development Fund. (Pic: PCNPA)